Slytherin Sisters
by Black Knight 03
Summary: Daphne realizes that it's not such a bad thing being different from her sister. One-shot Daphne-Harry


Disclaimer - J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter.

Author Notes - This was written for the 2011 Round of the Spring Fling Fic Exchange on LJ. Thanks to my beta phil urich for the editing. I believe I got rid of all the html tags, but if someone notices something odd please let me know.

"Why can't you be more like your sister?"

Her father's words rolled around in her mind over and over as Daphne walked about the Beltane celebration. The large meadow that held the celebration for the ceremonial beginning of Spring was decorated with all kinds of wild flowers blooming, here and there were large piles of timber waiting to be lit at dusk, large tables filled with various foods and drinks, and surrounding the edges of the meadow were Muggle-repelling charm. As she continued her walk, ignoring the idle chatter of other crowds that she passed, Daphne continued to dwell on her family. _Why do I let any of them get under my skin like this? You'd think after twenty years of the same controlling and manipulative parenting I'd not let their stupid comments bother me so much._

_Then of course little Miss Perfect always has them eating out of her hand, doesn't she? Astoria could never do any wrong, and if there was ever any trouble, it was because someone else led her astray. When we were younger if I did half of what she had gotten away with I'd still be locked up in my room._

Like with any large family, there was competition amongst the children and who could out do the other. With Greengrass being an old Pure-Blood and traditionally Slytherin family, the rivalry could be intense and at times cut throat. This was no better shown than Daphne's relationship with her younger sister, Astoria. No matter what she did, the younger Astoria just seemed to do that much better. If Daphne marked four Os, than Astoria would get five. If they were to buy new robes, the younger sister would make sure that hers were of finer quality and a prettier color than the oldest.

Another thing about being from an old family was the pressure to marry, and it wasn't just to marry, but who to marry. It was expected to marry of your station or above it, in other words a man from another old Pure-Blood family. Daphne had no real argument against it, in fact she agreed with the aspect, but when she looked around for such a man she was not enthralled with the selection. Even without the damage the war had done, pickings were slim as pure-blood families were on the decline and bloodlines were being mixed with Muggles and Half-Bloods. So even with the pressure, after finally leaving Hogwarts, Daphne had waited.

While she waited, Daphne had joined the Ministry and was beginning to show promise as she had just earned a promotion. But to her family she was just wasting time, and they were more interested in when she would provide more heirs to the family line. To compound matters, her newly graduated little sister had just dropped a bombshell.

As the family had gathered at the Ministry's Beltane celebration, Astoria had announced her engagement. Though still a few months shy of leaving Hogwarts, she had made it sound as if her O.W.L.s were of no worry and would not matter much after marriage. Angrily, Daphne bit her tongue as she recalled the intense study she had done, not helped by the daily letters from her parents nagging her to do well. If that were not enough, Daphne was even less thrilled when she met the fiancé. In a year's time Astoria was to marry Draco Malfoy and become a part of the "newly rehabilitated" Malfoys.

She had wanted to laugh bitterly at her young sister's foolishness, but her parents had seemed overjoyed. To her it all seemed like a big joke being played on her. Even with all the evidence against them, the Malfoys were somehow working their way back in to the good graces of the Wizarding World. That's when her father had wondered aloud why she could not be like her Astoria. Why did she continue to exasperate her parents by foolishly wasting her time in the Ministry and not doing her duty as a good Pure-Blood daughter? Did she wish to be an old maid?

_I'd rather be an old maid, than marry someone like Draco,_ as she thought of how the fool had treated Pansy. Not that there was exactly any pity for the other girl; she befriended the other girl out of survival. There was no sense of friendship, just pack survival.

Grabbing a goblet off a nearby serving tray, not paying any attention to the contents within, Daphne took a big drink from the red liquid. Once the drink touched her throat, she felt an intense burning sensation, realizing only too late that this was Firewhisky that she had gulped. As her face reddened and coughing racked her body, she thought her throat was on fire.

As she prayed for relief, she thought she heard a far away laugh, but from her perspective the sound was too far away to be certain. She then felt someone take the goblet from her hand and replace it with a flask. Whoever it was, guided her hand and brought the flask to her lips. Taking a sip, whatever it was tasted like fresh cold water and it gradually eased the pain in her throat. While the coughing gradually subsided, the world around her slowly came back in to detail.

"Never figured you to be a lush, Daph."

With an icy glare, she looked over to the man who had helped her. "What do you want, Potter? A medal?" she said hoarsely, her throat still raw from the Firewhisky.

"A thank you would be enough," Harry answered as he closed the flask.

"Oh thank you dear, Auror Potter, for saving my life," Daphne mocked, and was even more frustrated when Harry laughed again at her.

"I'd thought you'd be in a better mood, Daph," Harry said, smirking when she scowled at him for using that atrocious nickname he had given her. She wasn't sure what annoyed her more, the fact he had gotten the idea from Muggles or that he refused to stop using the bastard name. Her name was Daphne and only Daphne, proper Wizards did not do foolish things like give pet nicknames to people they're not even friends with.

"Just heard the news myself, congratulations," Harry continued. "Don't think your sister could've picked any better." Of course everything he said was sarcastic; everyone knew that Harry had no love lost for Draco or the Malfoys. Though the outright hatred had settled down some after the war.

"Thank you," she said politely, even though it killed her in more ways than one. "My family is overjoyed." Daphne than thought of something sure to annoy him. "But I'm surprised you're so happy about it. Wouldn't an heir put Draco one step closer to legitimatizing his claim to the Black family line?" she asked, pretending to be innocent. But surprisingly, he did not even flinch.

Calmly he replied, "I'm aware of it, but I'm not rolling over just yet. What would people think if I simply gave up without a fight."

This time Daphne laughed at him. "You're foolish. Your claim on the line was shaky at best. Your godfather had been disowned, so his will should be void on anything outside of his own affairs. Your godson, which is the only thing keeping your claim alive, is from a branch of the Black family that had been trimmed long ago. Making him disowned as well. I see no way for you to win," she told him smugly.

Harry smirked as he looked at the sky and how it changed colors as the sun began to set over the horizon. "All very good points, and points that Gringotts has already heard from the Malfoys and ruled against. While Draco may have taken a temporary upper hand, I still aim to level the playing field."

"The only way for you to do that would be to get married yourself, and unless there is someone new that we don't know about... your case is sunk," Daphne said smugly. Ever since setting foot in the Wizarding World all aspects of Harry's life had been under the microscope. After the war that scrutiny increased tenfold. He was a national hero, a living legend. With the good also came the bad; his personal life was constant tabloid fodder, even if it was not all truthful.

Chuckling as he discreetly put the flask away inside his robes, "There's no one waiting for a ring anytime soon, but I learned long ago how to be discreet. I also have my ways of keeping certain things out of the papers. But I'll admit, there's no one at the moment that I'm seriously seeing. Although I do have my eye on someone, I'm just not sure it's worth the effort. Not my normal type at all, but there's still something about her that I find... appealing."

Daphne rolled her eyes at his comments. "Well with your history, I feel bad for her already," she teased before taking a small sip of the Firewhisky. "Whenever I need a good laugh, I always reach for Skeeter's latest article on the Dating Adventures of Mr. Harry Potter. What was it last week... oh yes, took a young little thing to a Muggle restaurant. Had the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol there within an hour trying to clean up your little mess."

"Even if her little article was anywhere near based on fact, I really don't see this woman letting me get away with half the stuff I supposedly get up to. She'd probably hex my head off if I stepped a toe out of line with her; doesn't let me get away with anything."

"So this woman is someone you know. Not some long pining feelings from some long legged ditz that's crossed your path."

Harry smirked. "I've known of her for years, but only recently scratched the surface. She's certainly not a ditz, too motivated and ambitious. Though she does have an amazing set of legs." If Daphne had not rolled her eyes once more at him, she might have noticed his gaze flicker down for a second. "I want to get to know her, but first I have to get past a bit of hostility we unfortunately share towards each other for no real reason."

"Well good luck to her then, she'll need it," Daphne said, having enough of this little heart to heart. Taking a final sip from her goblet, she returned it to the tray. "Until next time, Potter. Which by the way, my cat makes more noise when she appears. Next time you just suddenly appear I will_ hex_ your head off, and it won't be the one on top of your shoulders." Turning away to make her leave, she was startled when Harry suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"I was never good at being subtle," he said and turned her back around to face him. Releasing her wrist with one hand, he slipped his other hand behind her and pulled her close. His smirk widened as he saw Daphne's eyes widen in shock and he could see her breathing hitch. "Let me try this again, just this time a bit more obvious."

With the reflexes of a Seeker, before Daphne could react, she felt his lips against hers in a light kiss. As he pulled back, the world seemed to slip away like it had when she had drank too much from the goblet.

"For Daphne Greengrass to be rendered speechless," Harry joked as he slowly pulled his hand away from the small of her back, letting his fingers linger just a little bit.

"What the hell was that?" she gasped, her mind temporarily reeling as her mind suddenly found itself in conflict with her heart.

Amused by her reaction, "It's called a kiss, and I have to say it was as good for me as it was for you apparently."

"What are you talking about?" she snapped, hoping anger would mask her sudden uncertainty.

"I've never seen you this rattled, Daph. No snappy comeback, no sarcastic comment to try and cut me down? I don't think so. I think I hit a nerve. Why do you think I enjoy rattling your cage so much? How many of these other woman would dare tell me what bridge to jump off? Or tell me to shove my wand up my arse? I don't want or need some little, bubbly witch fawning all over me. I need someone real who'll tell me I'm being a twit when I am one."

"What... How... When..." Daphne stumbled, so many conflicting thoughts racing through her mind at the moment. As her mind began to stop functioning, her instincts took over and she roughly grabbed Harry's robes. Pulling him to her this time, she crushed her lips to his. When she felt Harry's arms slide under her robe and around her waist, she hooked her foot around his calf and deepened the kiss.

As they were putting on quiet the spectacle, the attention of the crowd around them was on the large piles of timber. Counting down from five to one, when the sun finally disappeared below the horizon, large fireworks shot out of the piles and sailed skyward. In their wake, the timber erupted in numerous bonfires as the fireworks exploded overhead in a dazzling array of colors.

Breaking apart as the fireworks exploded over head, Daphne seemed even more conflicted than before. When she tried to backpedal, Harry refused to let go of her this time. For whatever reason, Daphne did not struggle too hard and even kept her grasp of his robes. "Bastard. Why did you have to go and do a stupid thing like that?"

Harry laughed once more. "Because of that. Because no matter what happens, I know you'll still be standing there."

"How do you know that? What makes me so different? I could easily just use you like my sister would."

"I just know. I might have gotten into a lot of trouble over the years, but my instincts of yet to steer me wrong. Besides, you're nothing like your sister. I could never see you ever playing some kind of supporting role to anyone again. You've tasted independence and you want to keep that. It's why you haven't gotten married; you think that once you do, you'll be stuck as some boring, simpering housewife catering to her husband. You've got too much fire in you to play second string to anyone anymore."

Looking across the darkened meadow, she could just make out her sister near one of the bonfires. She watched for a moment as Draco puffed out his chest to seem important as he talked to a group of others. Her attention though was more on her sister, and how she seemed to be more a piece of the scenery than anything else. A flashy accessory to complete a look, all for Draco and nothing for her.

She didn't realize how long she had been staring until she felt Harry's warm breath tickle her ear. "Didn't I tell you?" As she returned her gaze back to Harry, she felt nervous under the intense look in his eyes.

"You think too highly of yourself," she said quickly, trying to bide time to gather her thoughts. "So what now? Cause if you think you won anything, you're sorely mistaken," Daphne taunted.

"I expect nothing less, it'll just make it all the more sweeter when you admit defeat. I enjoy a challenge," Harry replied. Holding her tightly, he snickered softly as he heard Daphne's breathing hitch again. "So how long are you going to wait to throw this in your family's face?"

"Throw what, Potter. At the moment, there's nothing to tell," Daphne said innocently. "Should that time come... then yes, I'll intend to enjoy every moment." Wiggling free of Harry's arms, she took a few steps to leave but stopped and casually looked over her shoulder. "By the way, just so we're clear. I know you're not a manipulative man, you probably couldn't be even if you tried, but I'm not stupid either. _If_ anything were to ever happen between us, you'd be in a much better bargaining position. I know how this game works too, don't forget that."

"I don't think you'd let me, even if I could," Harry called after her as he watched her walk away.

As she neared where her family had gathered, she laughed softly to herself at the ridiculousness that had just happened. When her sister gave her an odd look, she simply smiled back. Kneeling slightly, she plucked one of the colorful wild flowers that grew in the meadow. Rolling the stem back and forth between her fingers, _Mother always frowned on me working at the Ministry. I wonder what she would say now that I've met my future husband because of it. Future husband? Morgana, I'm pathetic. I just got finished telling him that nothing has started between us yet, and I've already planned the wedding._

"Daphne," her sister's voice cut through her thoughts and brought her back to reality. She hadn't realized when Astoria had fallen in step with her, but apparently it had been for a short while as apparently she had asked her something.

"I'm sorry, I was lost in thought. What did you say?" Daphne asked in reply to Astoria's questioning look.

"Mother and Father have invited the Malfoys over for family dinner this weekend, and we'd like the whole family to be there," Astoria explained, clearly annoyed that Daphne had not been paying attention. "We don't want you to be uncomfortable, with everyone being couples in all, so if you can't make it I'd completely understand."

Biting her tongue to prevent herself from responding to her sister's verbal backhand slap to the face, Daphne simply nodded. "Thanks for the concern, but I think I can handle one dinner. Who knows, maybe I'll bring someone and we can all be couples." Leaving that statement hanging, Daphne quickened her pace and tried not to smirk as she knew of the confused expression that was on Astoria's face. _Enjoy your moment in the sun, little sister. Tonight everything has changed._


End file.
